The Return of the Wanderer
by WordSmith1916
Summary: The Lone Wanderer returns to the Capital Wasteland after nearly a decade, only to find the future he fought for has been thrown by the wayside. Now, he must right the wrongs of the order he once served. This means war, but the Wanderer knows war. Because war never changes. (Reboot of my fallout characters in light of the new canon from F4, hope you all enjoy).
1. Chapter 1

Trees? There hadn't been trees here the last time he had emerged from this tunnel. It appeared that Harold's influence was spreading even faster than the Treeminders had predicted. Orion River, The Lone Wanderer, hadn't stepped foot in the capital wasteland for eight years, not since the accident that had torn him apart, forcing the Brotherhood Scribes to turn him into a cyborg. They'd replaced his right arm, left leg, both lungs and kidneys and his vocal cords with advanced robotics. A side effect of this was that he now spoke like a sentry bot. He'd spent that time as the acting Lord of the Pitt, building a new society. Now he was coming home. Doc yapped happily beside him. One of Dogmeat's puppies, Orion had named Doc after the dog his father had been turned into in Vault 112. Doc had been cyberneticly and genetically augmented, making him stronger, faster and tougher than any regular dog. Orion's power armor was a formidable creation. He called it 'Wanderer's Power Armor'. Advanced with alien technology, its fusion core would last ten times longer. The armor itself was flame resistant, radiation resistant and energy resistant. It also automatically applied adapted alien biogel if he was wounded. As for his weapons, he was carrying his homemade Tesla Rifle, a rifle version of the Tesla Cannon, the Microwave Emitter and the Shocksword. Orion wondered how the Capital had changed in nearly a decade. He would soon find out.

As he and Doc made their way down the slope away from the Pitt tunnel, a harsh voice called out to them.

"Halt, civilian!"

Two Brotherhood Knights had their Laser Rifles aimed directly at Orion.

"By order of Elder Maxson of the Brotherhood of Steel, we request that you turn over the technology that you are carrying. Your Power armor, for example".

Orion stared at the two Knights for a solid minute, while Doc growled softly. He slowly reached up and unclasped his helmet, and then took it off. Underneath, he was wearing and Chinese Commando hat that had "The Hat of the People" inscribed on the inside. His messy auburn hair stuck out in tufts from underneath it, and he'd grown a thick beard during his time in the Pitt.

"Since when has the Brotherhood reverted to robbing the people they swore to protect?" he asked

The Knights began to laugh.

"Have you been living under a rock for the past couple years?" one of them replied.

"Elder Maxson has returned us to our true path, protecting ignorant savages like you from using technology you don't understand".

Orion weighed up his options. He had a feeling that these men would kill him if he didn't comply with their demands. Even so, he felt honor bound to give them a chance to walk away before he attacked.

"Just go," he said "Go and forget you saw me. I keep my stuff, you live long lives, and everybody wins".

Upon hearing this the Knights began laughing again. Taking the opportunity, Orion drew his Microwave Emitter and blasted them. For a second nothing happened. Then there was a sickening "splat" sound, as the two Knights head exploded inside their helmets. Orion moved quickly, looting their corpses of ammo and caps. Finally, he pulled the Knight's Holotags from around their necks and pocketed them.

"Old habits die hard" he muttered to himself, while Doc gave what sounded like a bark of agreement.

They'd built a guard house on the ledge outside the cave. Not that it did much good when all of the guards were asleep. Inside the cave had received some serious upgrades. Turrets all along the roof and barricades to funnel any attackers into a tight space where they'd be easy to pick off. She'd done a good job with the place. Eventually Orion reached the end of the tunnel, and the huge steel door that blocked his path. The symbol on the door was all too familiar. It was the same symbol he had painted on the front of his armor. A yellow '101'. A woman's voice floated over the intercom.

"Orion, is that you?"

For the second time today, the Lone Wanderer reached up and removed his helmet. And for the first time since he'd left the Pitt, he smiled.

"I'm home, Amata".


	2. Chapter 2

Star Paladin Cross walked through the laboratory of the Citadel. The place seemed strangely empty since Maxson had taken Liberty Prime with him on his expedition to the Commonwealth. Most of the Brotherhood's troops went with him, only a few staying behind to maintain control of the Capital. She had been left in charge of the Citadel's forces. Making her way to the other side of the room, Cross approached a red haired woman tinkering with a device.

"Scribe Vallincourt, I'm here for your progress report".

The Scribe barely glanced up from her work. She had always had a rebellious streak in her. She'd worshiped Owyn Lyons and loyally followed Sarah, but truth be told it was obvious she had never been comfortable with the direction Maxson was taking the Brotherhood.

"The problem with the Deathclaw control device is the range. Ten years ago I was able to build portable tech that could overwrite the frequency and put the holder in charge of the creatures, but when they strayed too far from the primary signal emitter it caused severe cerebral hemorrhaging. So far, I haven't been able to miniaturise the power source for the primary emitter to enable the Deathclaws to act as mobile soldiers instead of just guard dogs".

"Very well. Please continue. Steel be with you".

Cross walked away from the Scribe and returned to the Citadel's B ring. They would have to find a way to bolster their ranks if they wanted to hold the Wasteland in the Elder's absence. For the time being, however, there was a new threat. Two Knights had been found dead to the North-West, their heads practically vaporised. This was no raider attack, or even Super Mutants. Raiders would've taken their armor and weapons, Mutants would've taken the bodies to eat. Whoever had killed those boys was well-armed, highly trained, and a mystery as far as motive goes. The level of expertise shown in the attack meant one of two things. Either the Enclave had returned, a grim prospect given the Brotherhood's depleted forces. Or, there was a rogue variable introducing itself to the Wasteland. And Cross didn't know which option worried her more.

Orion had left his power armor in the room Amata gave him. Underneath, had been wearing his Armored Vault 101 Jumpsuit, still in good condition after 10 years. Now he and Amata were sitting in the Overseer's office, ready to catch up. He took a sip of his Nuka-Cola before he spoke.

"Bring me up to speed Amata".

"Where to begin. After Sarah died and you vanished, the Brotherhood was in turmoil. Quite a few idiot Elders were appointed. The Super Mutants began gaining ground again and the raiders started regrouping. Then they appoint Maxson as Elder and he comes down like a holy fire. Kills this new Mutant leader called Shepard, and then he brings those asshole Outcasts back into the fold. They introduced a water tax on all the settlements, but they also refused to keep delivering the water. Completely burned out Paradise Falls. Started hording any tech they could find or steal. We heard rumours that they tried to kill off the Family, but most of them escaped. On top of the water tax, they hit Underworld with a 'Ghoul Tax'. Apparently it's an insurance policy, to compensate for the ammo they'll use up when the population turns feral and has to be wiped out. Talon Company were wiped out, but they also went to war with the Regulators. The Metro system is the city is almost unusable. Since the Brotherhood have Vertibirds for transport they don't need to use the tunnels, so they just let them become infested with ghouls and raiders again. Rivet city got their fusion reactor commandeered to power that Airship they've built. And there was the Megaton massacre. They marched into the city to take the bomb. Of course, The Church of the Atom tried to stop them and were slaughtered for their efforts. Basically, Orion, the wasteland has gone to shit".

He took a moment to take it all in. Never in a million years did he ever think this would happen to the Brotherhood. Helping the people of the Wasteland had been what made the group strong, the support of every man woman and child in the Capital is what allowed them to overcome any and all odds. Now Arthur wanted to throw that all away to get cushy with the West Coast again? Owyn and Sarah would both be spinning in their graves if they could see what had become of their vision.

"Orion?" said Amata quietly, almost fearfully, "Why… Why did you leave?".

He put his head in his hands and sighed. Why had he left? A thousand different excuses came to mind. He'd had enough of the fighting, he thought the Brotherhood had everything under control, he wanted to spend his time researching the mutation cure in the Pitt. He knew none of these were the real reason though. He also knew Amata would be able to tell if he lied. She wouldn't push it, he was sure of that, but she'd been his best friend for 19 years. He didn't want to lie to her. He looked up, a tiny tear sparkling in the corner of his eye.

"Sarah… when she died… she was pregnant" came the monotone robotic voice, incapable of sobbing. "It was mine".

Amata put her hand on his shoulder, desperate to comfort her long lost friend. Just then, a man walked in with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Hey babe, I heard we had a visitor"

"Freddie, this isn't a good time" she shot back at her husband.

"Oh, right" he replied, glancing between Orion and his wife. "Well look man, it's great to see you again. Hey, maybe now you're back, you can up to some of those old Lone Wanderer antics Three Dog won't stop going on about. You know, kicking ass and saving the Wasteland".

Amata glared at him until he backed out the door. She looked back at Orion and to her surprise she found him smiling. Suddenly, she began laughing like she couldn't help it, and tried to apologise through the laughter.

"Don't be sorry" replied Orion "If this voice module had a laughter function I'd be joining you. Seriously though, you and Freddie Gomez?"

"He's a sweet guy. Once we opened the vault he stopped being so mopey and aggressive, and he was a lot easier to get along with".

Orion finished off the last of his Nuka-Cola in one massive gulp. He took a deep breath, running through all the thoughts in his head before speaking.

"He's right you know. I need to get out there and fix this mess. It's partly my fault anyway".

Amata sighed heavily. Typical Orion, running headfirst into danger.

"Is there any way we can help?"

"There is, actually. There's a few people I need to track down…"


	3. Chapter 3

Megaton had changed. Life had always been hard in the Wasteland, but the people of the scrap city had gone about their days with what could have passed for joy. Now, as Orion strolled through the gates, he could sense the air of hopelessness. He couldn't blame them. After all, it was he who had convinced them that the Brotherhood of Steel would be their salvation. The empty space at the bottom of the crater, where the Children of Atom once worshipped, was a testament to how wrong he had been. Orion wasn't wearing his power armor now. After getting the info he needed from Vault 101, he had trekked over to Vault 112. Before he left for The Pitt all those years ago, he had stashed his best gear in the hidden Vault. Now he was going to use it as a base of operations. He had left his power armor there for now, along with most of his weapons, which were unusual enough to draw attention to him. He had instead brought the MPLX Novasurge pistol, which although was more powerful and heavier than a normal Plasma Pistol, looked nearly identical and wouldn't be considered too unusual. He had been worried that his armored Vault 101 Jumpsuit would make him stand out, but Amata had assured him that ever since the Vault opened its doors, Moria at Craterside Supplies had been making a killing reinforcing their jumpsuits. So it was that The Lone Wanderer walked into the town he'd once thought of as home, and not one person paid a second glance to what they assumed was just another vault dweller.

.

Just like ten years ago, the best place in town to get information would be the bar. Gob's Saloon, as it was now called, was still one of Megaton's biggest attractions. Apparently, Nova had married Rory, the runaway slave, and they now had three children. Orion didn't regret murdering Colin Moriarty, the former proprietor, and to be honest nobody in town had mourned his passing. Gob was a much more amiable owner, and the drinks were cheaper and less watered-down than ever. Doc barked as he and Orion entered the premises, prompting the ghoul behind the bar to shout at them.

"Hey you, no dogs allowed in here!"

"Come on Gob, is that any way to treat an old friend?"

Orion took off his hat and grinned at the stunned ghoul.

"Orion? The Lone Wanderer has returned?"

Orion took a seat at the bar and shook Gob's hand. He as he ordered a glass of Scotch, a man approached him from behind. He was young, with dark skin and a thin mustache, and he was dressed in a sheriff's hat and duster.

"Howdy Orion" he muttered, as he took a seat beside the Wanderer.

"Harden. I was sorry to hear about your father's passing last year".

"I'm just sorry he was still around to watch those Brotherhood bastards slaughter all those people three years ago. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was the regret of not standing up to them that killed him".

Gob handed the young sheriff a bottle of Nuka-Cola, and after grabbing a beer for himself, the three of them toasted the memory of Lucas Simms. A steady line of people began to walk up and great Orion at the bar. Nova, Rory and their kids took a break from their work to welcome him back, as did Lucy West. Orion thought he saw her blush as she hugged him, and he wondered if she was also thinking of the night they'd spent together after he found her brother. Even Moria took a break from running the shop to run up and greet him, even trying to convince him to help her with another book. Eventually, the stream of admirers died down and allowed Orion and Harden to talk.

"I'm taking the fight to them, Harden. I'm the reason the Brotherhood is so powerful here in the Capital Wasteland. They've basically become the Enclave, after all that time fighting for the people here. If they know what's good for them, they'll run to the Commonwealth after Maxson before the war can really start. And mark my words, it will be a war".

Harden sighed and scratched his head under his hat.

"Look Orion, you know you've got my support, and the people here in Megaton would follow you to the death. But we're hopelessly outgunned. All the Brotherhood has to do is fly a couple of Vertibirds over here and rain lead down on the town and we'd be wiped out. We're with you in this war, but there's at least two things you need to do".

After Gob poured him another glass of Scotch, Orion motioned for the Sheriff to continue.

"We need weapons. Lots of high-quality weapons. And you need to do something to inspire people. If you could land a big hit against the Brotherhood, by yourself, it would show everyone that they aren't as invincible as they want us to believe".

"Alright, but I want something from you first. I don't think adding to the myth of The Lone Wanderer is going to make people believe they can rise up, and to be honest I'd rather have someone I know watching my back. Jericho, for instance".

"Alright, I'll grab the old raider and tell him to meet you at the gates. Good luck, Wanderer".

.

A short while later Jericho approached Orion and Doc in front of the gates. Grinning ear to ear, the years didn't seem to have taken much of a toll on the old raider. Dressed in a pristine condition set of leather armor, he carried a Chinese Assault Rifle over his shoulder.

"Long time no see, asshole"

They shook hands and exited the town, breathing in the dusty air of the Wasteland. They began walking east, around the side of the massive scrap metal wall. The occasional molerat raised its nose and sniffed as they passed, before apparently deciding that they were too big to be prey.

"Thanks for coming, Jericho".

"And miss the fight of the century? I would've tracked you down and knocked your lights out if you hadn't invited me".

A young woman suddenly ran up to them. She was covered in sweat, blood, and judging from the state of her eyes, tears. She dropped to her knees in front of the two men, panting heavily.

"Please…..raiders…wired…bomb…please…help".

Orion quickly ran towards her and pulled up her shirt, revealing a homemade explosive device tied around her stomach. He had seen raiders do this before. The first time his tampering had set the bomb off, the poor man throwing himself away so that the explosion that tore him apart wouldn't kill Orion too. After that, Orion had learned everything he could about defusing bombs, so as to never make that mistake again. This particular device wasn't very sophisticated though, and within a few seconds it dropped harmlessly to the ground. Jericho kept his rifle trained on the direction the woman had come from as Orion helped her to her feet.

"Can you keep running?" he asked.

She nodded. Her eyes were still wide with fear, and her hands refused to stop shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her system.

"Good. Run back the way we came as fast as you can until you reach Megaton. Ask for Sheriff Simms and tell him the Wanderer sent you to safety. Go now and don't look back".

Orion drew his pistol as the woman fled. He could already hear the shouts of the raiders. Thanks to the mutagenic bioenhancer Doc Lesko had given him in Grayditch, all of his senses had been enhanced beyond human limits, as well as giving him increased flame resistance. This allowed him to determine that there were five raiders coming their way. He held up his hand to Jericho with all fingers out, then pointed in the direction of the raiders. As the first one's head appeared over a small ridge, Jericho squeezed the trigger and let off a short burst of bullets. The raider's head snapped back as one of the bullets pierced his eye socket and punched through the back of his skull. The other four quickly appeared over the ridge too, charging towards their new prey. Doc lunged forward faster than any eye but Orion's could track. Before anyone knew what was happening, the massive dog had knocked a raider wielding a baseball bat to the ground and sunk his teeth into the man's throat. Orion let off two shots from the Novasurge, both finding their marks in the centre of the chests of two raiders who promptly dissolved into glowing green goo. Jericho pressed firmly on the trigger of his rifle, letting loose a spray of bullets that shredded the legs of the last raider. As he fell to the ground screaming, Doc let behind his first victim and closed his maw on the crippled raider's head, shaking him until his neck snapped.

.

Orion and Jericho both reloaded their weapons as they walked calmly towards the bodies. That was something the old raider had taught Orion when he was fresh and innocent out of the Vault. Reload every chance you get, don't get caught needing to reload in the middle of a firefight if you could avoid it. Petting Doc on the head, Orion pulled out a cloth and wiped the blood from the dog's mouth as Jericho looted the mangled and melted corpses of caps, ammo, chems or anything useful. When they were finished, they packed up the haul and continued east.

"So, where's the next stop in your righteous war, kid?"

Jericho lit up a cigarette as he waited for Orion's answer. In the afterglow of a battle, even if it was just a bunch of drugged up raiders, he felt more alive than he ever had living a safe and peaceful life in Megaton. That town may be where he lived, but the Wasteland, in all its brutal and lawless glory, was his home. He looked up at Orion to find the Wanderer smiling at him, an almost mischievous smile that Jericho hadn't seen in nearly a decade.

"The only place in the Wasteland with more rust than Megaton. Rivet City".


	4. Chapter 4

Wernher stomped through the streets of Uptown, his tribal power armor putting him head and shoulders above anyone he passed. Orion had taught him to use the armor before he had left, leaving the former Pitt slave in charge of the city. The Pitt had come a long way in the past ten years. The Trogs and Wildmen had been eradicated, except in the outer city where they continued to hide and breed, and thanks to the cure Orion had synthesised from Marie they could vaccinate everybody in the city against the horrific mutations. Where once slaves cowered as they walked, now the people of the Pitt stood tall, proud, and healthy. Most of the Pitt raiders had been killed during the rebellion. The only ones to survive were the Mill master Everett and the arena guard Faydra, both of whom had managed to get into Orion's good books before all hell broke loose, and Bone, who Orion had developed a semi-romantic connection with. Now, the former slaves were kitted out in the raider's armor and carrying their weapons. Robots worked the steelyard and the ruins of the old city, bringing back metal for the workers in the Mill to melt down and reshape into ammo. Downtown had essentially become the market district of the Pitt, with all of the city's traders and vendors plying their trades. Uptown had been converted into the residential district. Finally, the tower of Haven was the seat of power, and also the scientific base of the city. Haven was populated by Orion, before he had left, Wernher, Midea, Marie, now 11 years old, and a small number of scientists who had been enticed to the Pitt by Orion's promise of a cure for mutation.

Wielding a silenced assault rifle called "Perforator", Wernher patrolled the streets to make sure there was no trouble. The Lord of the Pitt himself had tasked him with maintaining order before disappearing down that train tunnel. Some citizens had been questioning the lack of democratic elections after Ashur had died, but given that everyone was free to come and go as they wished, and had access to food, water, and weaponry, few openly criticised Orion's rule. Wernher had always seen himself as the one who would overthrow Ashur and seize control, but the Lone Wanderer was simply too popular among the former slaves to try and stage a coup. Besides, given that Orion had spent most of his time in his lab in Haven, day-to-day management of the Pitt was left to Wernher anyway. He looked at it as having all of the power without any of the dangers of being the public leader. Suddenly, the radio built into his power armor crackled to life.

"Wernher, one of the lookouts spotted something in the outer city".

"It's probably just one of the scavenger robots".

"Scavbots don't leave a trail of dead Trogs heading towards Uptown".

"Alright, keep me posted".

The new information was worrying. The Scavbots were designed with a self-destruct mechanism, to take out whole packs of Trogs if they were attacked. A trail of dead Trogs meant that something else was lurking outside the safe districts, and whatever it was it was making its way towards the Pitt. Wernher turned around and made his way back towards Haven. If there was a threat on his doorstep, the city needed to prepare itself. Orion had picked a hell of a time to return to the Capital Wasteland.

.

Rivet City was quiet. Too quiet. The hulking airship carrier showed no signs of life as Orion and Jericho approached. Climbing the entrance tower, they soon found that the bridge to the city had been moved to block access. As they stood there, wondering what to do next, the nearby intercom turned on and a voice emanated from it.

"Turn around, there's nothing here for you"

Orion rushed over to the intercom and pressed the reply button.

"What happened here? Why is the bridge out of access?"

"We're trapped in the Tower. After the Brotherhood took the ship's power generator for their airship, we couldn't maintain the entire ship properly. Some of the bottom levels that we had reclaimed had to be abandoned again, and the mirelurks moved in. They took over most of the city and forced us up here. We can't get to the bridge controls at the main entrance".

"The clean water from the Purifier should have killed off all the Mirelurks by now" muttered Jericho.

"These ones are different" replied the voice, "They came from the sea, from the North we think. The big one set up in the broken bow, and they've just been multiplying ever since. I don't know who you are, but there may be a way for you to help us. Old Pinkerton says that before he moved back in here to head up the science department, he was working on a sonic weapon to repel Mirelurks. There should be a working prototype in his old lab in the broken bow. If you can activate it, it will get rid of all the lurks on the ship".

Orion turned to Doc and told him to stay. Then, he and Jericho made their way back down the tower and over to the walkway to the broken bow. The heavy door was still unlocked, luckily, and the two men entered the wreck, weapons at the ready. The moment they were inside they could hear the chattering of the Mirelurks infesting the bow. They creeped through the still irradiated water towards Pinkerton's old lab and suddenly found themselves inside a huge open space. The Mirelurks had clearly torn apart the ship to make a nest for themselves. Egg cluthes covered the floor and walls, and even the ceiling, and in the middle of the room stood a monstrous Mirelurk Queen.

"Guess that's the big one" joked Jericho.

At the sound of his voice the Mirelurk Queen roared and attacked, spraying acid that hit Orion in the left shoulder. Jericho let loose with his Chinese Assault Rifle, the bullets barely denting the creature's shell. Several of the surrounding eggs began to hatch, tiny mirelurks crawling out and swimming through the water towards Orion. The Wanderer pulled out his Novasurge pistol and blasted the hatchlings into tiny piles of goo, before dodging another acid attack from the Queen. He was really missing his power armor right about now. Without it, he couldn't get close enough to the Queen to pinpoint its weak spots. Just as he was about to take another shot, something knocked him to the ground. He recovered just in time to see another creature baring down on him. The Mirelurk king readied itself to hit him with a sonar attack, but was cut short by a burst of bullets from Jericho's rifle. The distraction allowed the Queen to knock Jericho aside with one of its long legs, and the old raider crumpled against a wall. Orion pulled himself to his feet and then saw, on a shelf beside him, an unarmed frag mine. He grabbed the mine and armed it, then using is pistol to get the Queen's attention, he flung the mine with all the strength in his robotic right arm. The mine spun through the air before landing in its target, the gaping maw of the Queen. The creature made the mistake of biting down, and an explosion tore the giant apart from the inside out.

Orion pulled Jericho to his feet and checked the wound on his own shoulder. Both men watched as the muscle and skin tissue rapidly repaired itself, until there was no trace of the acid attack left. One of Moira's experiments years ago had caused a mutation in Orion's DNA. While too much radiation would still make him sick, and possibly kill him, radiation exposure also caused his physical wounds to heal rapidly. Having taken a moment to catch their breath, the two men continued to make their way through the bow towards the lab, dispatching Mirelurks along the way. Eventually, just as Jericho had nearly run out of ammo, they reached the large room where Pinkerton had once exiled himself. Among the discarded medical equipment they found a black cylinder, about the length of a laser rifle, with small satellite dish on one end and a switch on the other.

"This must be it" said Orion.

He picked up the device and flicked the switch. Outside, they could hear the screams of the Mirelurks as the sonic attack commenced, forcing them to flee the nest they'd built in the ship and return to the sea.

In the Rivet city science lab, the city council of Harkness, Seagrave Homes and Pinkerton convened to thank Orion and Jericho. Much of the ship was still covered in mirelurk eggs, but the locals were using that to their advantage by turning the eggs into a food source. The sonic weapon had been placed on top of the Tower, to give it maximum coverage of the surrounding area and keep the Mirelurks as far away as possible.

"How can we thank you, Orion? After the Brotherhood robbed our fusion reactor, and then this mess, I thought Rivet City would become a thing of the past" exclaimed Harkness.

"There's no need to thank us, but if you want to help you can point me in the direction of Butch".

Before Harkness could speak, Pinkerton interrupted him.

"We'll send the greaser out to you, but he's no fitting reward. Even if it was my machine that did most of the work, you really saved our hides back there and I know just how to repay you. Those idiots in the Brotherhood think they're so great, but all they could do was shove a robot's voice box into your throat. I, on the other hand, can repair your neck and vocal chords".

Orion looked at the old man in stunned silence for a moment, not quite comprehending what he was saying.

"That's right, Wanderer. I can give you your voice back".


	5. Chapter 5

A few days after leaving Rivet City, Orion and his companions found themselves in the ghoul city of Underworld. Griffon still had his stall set up by the entrance, peddling his "Aqua Cura", but the con man wasn't who the Wanderer was here to see. Making their way inside, the group headed towards the Ninth Circle.

"Damn ghouls give me the creeps, man" muttered Butch.

He was quickly quietened by a glare from Orion. Butch had spent the last decade as a mercenary, usually protecting caravans or clearing ghouls from the metro system. It was a far cry from the glamorous gang lifestyle he had envisioned when he left the vault. He still wore his tunnel snakes outfit, and never parted from his trusty switchblade. He had upgraded his gun from a 10mm pistol to a sawn-off shotgun though, and was known for using it recklessly. As they neared the bar, the ghouls of Underworld stopped what they were doing and stared. It had been a long time since any humans had ventured into the City of the Dead.

Orion nearly did a double-take when he saw who was behind the bar. His mind flashed back to a night in the Weatherly Hotel in Rivet City. A night of passion after an adventure. They'd spent their caps on good Scotch, and she'd cried in his arms over the death of her father all those years ago. A callous treasure hunter, finding comfort in an idealistic Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel. Times had changed though. Orion was no longer with the Brotherhood, and his idealism had been dampened somewhat by the trials of Wasteland life. The woman in front of him hadn't gone treasure hunting in years. With his voice repaired by Pinkerton, Orion was able to utter two words.

"Hello Sydney".

She looked up and gasped. It was like seeing a ghost. Sure, his hair was a bit messier and his beard was much thicker, and there were faint lines on his face that hadn't been there 10 years ago, but aside from that it was the same Lone Wanderer who had helped her find the Declaration of Independence. She sprinted from around the bar and tackled him with a hug that knocked the wind from his robotic lungs.

"Christ, Orion, where have you been?!"

"That's a long story Syd, how about we grab some drinks? By the way, are Charon and Fawkes still around?"

Releasing her arms from around Orion's neck, Sydney moved back to the bar and grabbed the oldest bottle of Scotch she could find. Orion grinned as she poured four glasses.

"You remember"

"I never forget a man with good taste" she winked, "Charon became Underworld's Sheriff after you left, made Fawkes his deputy. I'm sure they'll arrive in here soon, people notice when the Lone Wanderer strolls into town".

Jericho and Butch had already heard most of the details of Orion's life since he left the D.C area, but they sat quietly and sipped their Scotch as he recounted his journey to the Pitt, how he organised the ex-slaves into a decent fighting force, got the Pitt's ammunition based economy properly off the ground and began his research into the Cure. By the time he'd finished, the four had finished the bottle of Scotch and started on another.

Just then, the doors of the Ninth Circle opened and Charon and Fawkes walked in. The tall ghoul was the only person Orion had ever seen who came anywhere near the height of the hulking super mutant, or "Metahuman", as Fawkes preferred. Orion stood and embraced his former companions. Fawkes nearly crushed him in his joy.

"My friend, it is good to see you after all these years!"

When everyone had become reacquainted, and Sydney had poured another glass of Scotch for Charon and grabbed a Nuka Cola for Fawkes, they began to discuss the reason Orion had come to Underworld.

"I need your help guys. I can't take on the Brotherhood by myself, and the settlements are so beaten down that they don't have the spirit left to rise up. Somebody needs to take the fight to them".

"Say no more, my friend" replied Fawkes.

"We're in" agreed Charon "I'm sure Cerberus can deal with any trouble while we're gone, and Sydney has enough firepower in the back to supply the entire city".

Orion smiled at them all. Even after he had burned Charon's contract, the ghoul still held onto his code of honour and loyalty. And Fawkes would do anything to help, it was just in his nature. Jericho and Butch may just like the idea of a fight, but they were still good men. Now there were only two names left to cross off his list. One would be easy to find, but harder to convince. The other, Orion only had a rumour of where she was, but he had no doubt that she would be on board. His plan was coming together nicely, but he could only hope that the rest of the journey would go as smoothly.

.

Star Paladin Cross waited anxiously by the long range radio set up in the Citadel's lab. At this time, once a week every week, the Prydwen would contact the Citadel for a report. Elder Maxson had a great love for reports. Every week, Cross waited by the radio, in the fear that the Elder would never make contact. Perhaps something had happened, a lightning storm brought down the airship, a super mutant with a Fat man used it for target practice, or some obscure Enclave outpost attacked and took the rest of the Brotherhood by surprise. The crackling of the radio brought Cross out of her daydream.

"Citadel come in, this is Elder Maxson from the Prydwen".

Cross grabbed the radio speakers and replied.

"Cross here, Steel be with you Elder".

"And with you, Star Paladin. What's the latest report from the Capital?"

Cross paused. Should she simply give him the day to day running of the Brotherhood? How the water supply was holding up or how much caps it had brought in? Any new skirmishes with the Regulators? No, he would want the really big news.

"Sir, we've been hearing some….disturbing…..rumours. They were just the whispers of Wasteland junkies at first, but now they're coming from Megaton, Vault 101 and Rivet City".

"Just spit it out Cross".

"The Lone Wanderer, sir. They're saying he's returned and he's out for blood. We believe he already killed two Knights in the north of the Wasteland, and there's been reported sightings all over. Some are saying he plans to take us down".

There was silence on the other end for a long while, so long that Cross began to think the line had gone dead. Eventually though, Maxson's voice quietly returned.

"Keep me posted. Prydwen out".

Now the line did go dead. Cross sighed and rested her head in her hands. Maxson's reaction meant one of two things. Either he wasn't that worried about the long-lost hero of the Capital Wasteland gunning for him and his men, or he was very, very worried indeed. And Cross knew from fighting alongside Orion that the latter reaction was the far more appropriate one.


	6. Chapter 6

The Brotherhood Vertibird touched down right outside Grayditch and three Knights disembarked. Knight Captain Kennedy had his Flamer ready, just in case. The two Knights with him were both armed with Chinese assault rifles. The operation would be a smooth run as far as Kennedy was concerned. Grayditch had stopped paying their water tax, so he'd been sent in convince them to cough up. Command could just stop providing them water, but that might make them desperate enough to try stealing it from another settlement, and the Brotherhood couldn't deal with faction fighting while they were still hunting down the Regulators. Those damn cowboys had been waging a guerrilla war ever since the Megaton mess, and even after their HQ had been razed to the ground. Ambushes, setting mines all over the roads, capturing wild robots and reprogramming them to attack Brotherhood soldiers. They were an annoyance that had gone on far too long.

Kennedy and his soldiers strolled into the small town, the residents running indoors at the sight of their power armour. Eventually, as they neared the entrance to Marigold Metro station, a young woman approached them. Beneath his power helmet Kennedy smiled, seeing she only had a small knife and wouldn't be a threat.

"Who's in charge around here?!" he barked at her.

The woman stood calmly in front of the three soldiers, showing no signs of fear.

"Doc Lesko usually, but today I'll be the one telling you to get back in your Vertibird and leave".

"Look lady, we provide your town with clean water, and you guys haven't been paying for that. Nobody wants anyone to die of thirst, so why don't you just go round up some caps for us and we'll tell Star Paladin Cross that you lot are good to keep getting shipments, ok?"

"Lyons never wanted us to pay for water. The Lone Wanderer never wanted us to pay for water. We're sick of you stealing our hard-earned caps for something that was always meant to be free. You need to be stopped".

Reaching forward, Kennedy grabbed the woman by the throat and flung her back towards the metro entrance. She pushed herself up and spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at the Knights.

"Who's going to stop us, huh? You? With that tiny little knife?"

Standing up straight, the woman grinned through bloody teeth. She raised her arms above her head, almost like a gesture of worship.

"No. With them" she laughed.

Before the Knights could react, hordes of massive ants came swarming from the metro. Kennedy's cries to shoot for the antennae were lost on his men, who began firing wildly as the woman dived for cover. His flamer was proving to be completely useless, as the ants were walking right through the flames before breathing their own fire, cooking the two other knights alive inside their armour. Dropping his weapon, Kennedy tried to run back to the vertibird. The ants hunted him down, catching up easily with how much his power armour slowed him down. They began to swarm all over him, dragging him to the ground, their mandibles ripping into the soft spots in the armour around his joints.

Lesko came running from one of the houses and helped the woman to her feet as the Knight Captains screams echoed through the town.

"My word, did you have to kill them Tanya?"

Tanya Christoff, formerly known as The AntAngoizer, brushed herself off and pet one of the fire ants on the head.

"I promised to protect this town and help your research ever since I arrived here, Weston. Sometimes that means killing our enemies".

"They'll send more soldiers, you know they will".

"Times are changing. Even the ants can sense it. They're saying the Wanderer is back, that he's returned to defend us from the Brotherhood. There's never been a better time to stand up for ourselves".

"You really think one man can take on an entire army and save the wasteland?"

"Doctor, we live in a world were ants can breathe fire and I can tell them what to do. Why are heroes so hard to believe in?"

.

Back in Vault 112, Orion and the rest of his gang had returned from Underworld to rest and restock their gear. A huge stockpile of weapons and armour, collected by Orion during his travels, was at their disposal. Charon had replaced his worn Leather armour with a set of Ranger Combat armour and a Composite recon helmet. His skill with firearms made him the perfect choice to serve as the group's sniper. To this end Orion had given him the Reservist's Rifle, and the .44 revolver Blackhawk for close quarter combat. Although Fawkes didn't need much armour due to his thick super mutant skin, Orion still decided to forge him a suit. Mainly made of leather that had been treated to be flame retarded, the outer casing of a sentry bot was reshaped to serve as armour on his chest, arms, and legs. He had also replaced his own Gatling Laser with Orion's Precision Gatling Laser. Butch had quickly claimed the full set of T-51b Power Armour Orion had once found in Fort Constantine. Knowing his trigger-happy nature, Orion gave him the Xuanlang Assault rifle and the Ultra 10mm SMG Sydney ahd once given Orion himself. Finally, Jericho seemed to be the most randomly put together of the lot. He was wearing the Outcast T-45b power armour that had once belonged to the Treeminder named Linden. On his head he was wearing the Eyebot helmet that Orion had received from the trader Crow. And for weapons, he had the alien Drone Cannon Ex-B, and a Ripper with the name "Jack" carved into the hilt. Butch was the first to speak after they had all gotten their gear ready.

"Where's our next stop then?"

"We're still missing two from the team I want to put together. Last I'd heard, Sergeant RL-3 was still hanging around Canterbury Commons scaring off raiders, but since the Brotherhood took over the town a couple years ago to secure their control of the trade routes we'll need a better plan to free the town and recruit him. The other recruit is Clover"

Jericho scoffed from beneath his helmet, almost sure that Orion was joking.

"Clover? As in the crazy slave chick who was obsessed with you ever since you bought her contract from Eulogy?"

"I freed Clover soon after I bought her, and, after we'd travelled together for a bit, I convinced her to return to Paradise falls to act as a spy for me. There's a good chance she died when the Brotherhood assaulted the slaver's base, but I've heard a few rumours from reliable sources that she and a few others might have survived and made their way to Evergreen Mills. That's our next stop".

"My friend" spoke up Fawkes, "I am grateful that you have trusted me to help you on this quest, but why is it so important that you gather this specific group of individuals?"

Orion was silent for several minutes. The others waited patiently for him to speak, keen to know why their leader had chosen them. Eventually, with a sigh, Orion began to explain.

"People have called me 'The Lone Wanderer' ever since I left Vault 101 for the first time. They've painted me as some kind of mythic hero who could attack a Behemoth with a tire iron and still find a way to win. And I'd do it all by myself, a modern Hercules. The truth is, for the hardest and most challenging moments of my life, I was never alone. Fawkes, you were with me when I fought through Vault 87. Jericho, you helped me survive my first couple of weeks in the Wasteland. Cross was with me during the battle for the Purifier. Each one of you, including RL-3 and Clover, have helped create the legend of the Lone Wanderer, and I need all of you to see this war through. Now turn in for the night. We make for Evergreen Mills at first light".

The group made their ways to their respective rooms, each of them reflecting on what Orion had said. Could a robot and an ex-slave really make the difference in the fight against the Brotherhood? For that matter, could any of them?


	7. Chapter 7

_The sound of machine-gun fire filled the air as explosion after explosion rocked the ground and threw up dirt in every direction. Through the carnage, a small group of Paladins were making a hasty retreat. Orion swore at himself beneath the helmet of his Winterised T-51b armour. He should have known it was a trap. For months there had been practically no super mutant sightings, and suddenly they get a report of a huge nest of them taking over Minetown? In his defense, the rouse had been laid excellently. Twisted girders and bags filled with human body parts littered the perimeter of the area, just like mutants would have done. Talon Company had outdone themselves this time. Killing Commander Jabsco at Fort Bannister hadn't put the mercs out of business, and now they had laid a very elaborate trap for the Pride. It had seemed like such a routine operation, Sarah had taken a break from her duties as Elder to get her hands dirty with the troops. They'd flown in on a Vertibird, touched down just outside the town, and slowly made their way in. The first thing that should have given it away was the quiet. Super mutants were never quiet. It was only when they reached the playground at the centre of town that things got messy. The mercs had obviously strapped C4 to all the rusted cars in the area, detonating them all simultaneously. Vargas was standing right next to one of them and was blown 300 feet away straight into a concrete wall, the impact cracking his helmet and his head along with it. Sarah was caught in the blast too, but she was far enough away that it only knocked her into a swing set and broke her left leg. Orion rushed to grab her and pull her to her feet. Talon Mercs began pouring out of the houses surrounding them, most of them armed with heavy weaponry like miniguns and gatling lasers, as well as several using plasma and laser rifles. A huge firefight commenced, the Pride taking cover behind the burning wrecks of the recently exploded cars._

 _"We need to get the Elder back to the Vertibird!" roared Orion._

 _Dusk and Colvin both grabbed Sarah, and as soon as there was a lull in the attack they began running for the Vertibird. Orion pulled out his plasma rifle, the one Harkness had given him, and he joined Gallows, Glade, and Kodiak in returning fire on the mercs. Their enemies were being burned, vaporised and liquefied at an incredible rate, but for every Talon merc they killed two more seemed to pour out of the houses._

 _"We need to fall back sir" shouted Kodiak._

 _Orion nodded in the affirmative just as one of the Mercs shouted something incomprehensible. Something glowing and round rolled towards the Paladins, and Orion realised the merc had said 'grenade'. Before he could even say anything, Glade was throwing himself on top of the plasma grenade. The explosion must have hit an undetonated pack of C4, as it knocked the three remaining Paladins, and most of the Talon Company force, off their feet. The next thing Orion knew, Gallows was dragging him to his feet and pulling him towards the Vertibird, while Kodiak held the mercs back with Glade's Incinerator. The three of them reached the aircraft as Dusk sat into the pilot's seat. Colvin began pushing Sarah into the craft when his temple exploded in a crimson mist._

 _"Damn sniper" muttered Gallows as Colvin's limp body collapsed to the ground._

 _Orion grabbed Sarah and hauled her into the Vertibird, her face splattered with Colvin's blood. He turned around and reached his hand out to Gallows and Kodiak, who shook their heads._

 _"You save Sarah" said Gallows, "we'll draw their fire off you"._

 _Orion frowned at the idea of leaving his men behind, but still signalled for Dusk to take off. As the Vertibird began its ascent, he saw Gallows pick up Colvin's sniper rifle and exchange fire with the Snipers in the town, while Kodiak rained napalm on the mercs trying to storm the landing site. He turned back to Sarah and began wiping the blood from her face. She was shivering, something he'd never seen her do in battle._

 _"C…Colvin…" she stammered._

 _"Colvin knew what he was getting into Sarah, we all did. This isn't your fault. I knew you shouldn't have come on this mission, but the most important thing right now is that I get you and our baby back to the Citadel"._

 _Orion smiled as he said that, placing his hand on Sarah's armour over her stomach. The scribes had said she was about a month and a half along. For a split second, Sarah returned the Wanderer's smile. Then they both heard Dusk swear in the cockpit. Orion ran up to see a Talon merc standing on the roof of a nearby house, aiming a Fatman straight at the Vertibird. Dusk jerked the controls, but it was too late. The mini nuke came soaring through the air and smashed into the craft. Everything went bright as the searing radioactive heat tore through Orion's body. He was vaguely aware of the Vertibird rapidly spiralling downwards, and the crash that followed it. Lying on the ground, unable to see or hear the firefight he was sure was still raging around him, all he knew was that he could feel his body soaking up the radiation, using it to repair itself. But he also knew in his now heavily damaged heart that Sarah couldn't have survived. The love of his life was dead, and with her the child he would never know._

Orion woke drenched in a cold sweat. Years ago, he'd relived the day Sarah died every single night. Now, the memory only invaded his dreams a few times a month. He, Gallows and Kodiak were the only survivors of that ambush, although Kodiak had taken a bullet to the spin and never walked again. Orion knew the only reason he was alive was because the radiation of the mini nuke had healed him even as it torn him apart. Alive, with nothing to live for. The second he'd recovered, and gotten used to his new cyborg parts, he'd left his Holotags in the Den and fled. Now he could see what his cowardice had done to the capital. Perhaps if he'd stayed, he could have guided Arthur on the path Owyn and Sarah would have wanted. It didn't matter now though. All that mattered was righting those wrongs the Brotherhood had committed.

.

It was only a short Journey the next morning to Evergreen Mills. Orion was back in his Wanderer's Power armor and had his Tesla Rifle at the ready. There was always a chance that they might run into a Brotherhood patrol, but Orion wanted to keep the conflict to a minimum until they were ready to fight the forces of the Citadel. From what Amata had told him, Evergreen Mills had come a long way since its days as a huge raider camp. Led by Smiling Jack, the settlement became a haven for ex-raiders looking to go legit. It was now the go-to place to hire mercenaries. It was also the only place in the Capital Wasteland with a fully staffed brothel, which didn't hurt their visitor numbers. As the group approached the entrance of the town, a lone figure walked out to meet them. As he got closer, Orion recognised the man and shouted in surprise.

"Paulson?!"

The cowboy grinned and stretched out his hand to Orion.

"It's been a while partner, didn't think I'd see you again"

Inside, Paulson explained the last ten years to Orion and his companions.

"Well, after Somah and I left that alien ship we decided to stick together, on account of me not knowing what the hell kind of world I was re-joining. She was friends with Jack, so we came here to the Mills and Jack convinced us to stick around and help him rebuild the town. You're looking at the local sheriff haha".

"I'm glad things worked out for you Paulson, I really am".

"Much appreciated, but I know you're not here, armed to the teeth, to reminisce about our adventures in space. I hear you and your friends are gearing up to take on the Brotherhood. Well you can count us in".

Orion gave Paulson a quizzical look.

"What do you mean?"

"Nearly everyone is this town is a highly trained mercenary, and we're sick of the Brotherhood pushing us around. We used to have drones guarding the town and doing manual labour. Somah built them using the tech and schematics from the ship. But the Brotherhood came and commandeered them all. I'll have no trouble convincing most folks around here to join up with your militia".

At that moment, the doors flung open and Somah walked in, closely followed by Clover. The ex-slave gave Orion a mischievous grin and a wink before embracing him.

"Hey baby, how you doing?" she asked.

Orion motioned to Jericho, who brought forward a large package. Inside was the Chinese stealth suit, the shocksword, and the Zhu-Rong v418 Chinese pistol.

"It's time to suit up, Clover. We've got a job to do".

"What, no foreplay?"

Clover took the package and left to get changed. Once she was gone, Orion turned to the rest of his team, and Paulson and Somah.

"I appreciate your willingness to help, Paulson. If you're serious, the first thing I need you to do is get any spare weapons you can to Megaton. I promised them some additional firepower to boost their stock for the war. As for us, there's just one stop remaining before we really take the fight to the Brotherhood. On to Canterbury Commons!"


	8. Chapter 8

As he stepped out of his power armour, Wernher breathed a sigh of frustration. More and more Trogs were being spotted dead in the outer city, getting closer and closer to the Steelyard. On top of that, now the Scavbots were disappearing too. No explosions, no commotion, just gone without a trace. He'd had to order the men to stop sending the bots out altogether before they lost too many to replace. The mill had enough of a stockpile of metal to keep it running for a good while, but sooner or later they would need to salvage more. The guard shifts had been doubled to make sure whatever was out there didn't take the city by surprise. Orion would kill him if it all went to shit the minute he left.

His room in Haven had the benefit of being well stocked with alcohol, including the potent moonshine Orion had brought in from Point Lookout with the bi-monthly shipments of punga fruit. As Wernher took a long swig from the bottle, he tried to calm himself down. Even if there was something new and dangerous in the outer city, who was to say it had any interest in getting inside? The former slaves who'd come from the Capital Wastes always told stories of Deathclaws and giant Radscorpions. One or two of those would easily be able to do the kind of damage they'd been seeing in the trog population. And the scouts had probably just missed the remains of the Scavbots. They might be big and dangerous, but as long as they kept the perimeter secure those Capital Wasteland creatures wouldn't get into the Pitt. Just as he'd settled his worries he was attacked from behind, tiny hands covering his eyes.

"Guess who, Uncle Wernher?"

He grinned and pretended to be thinking hard. Marie was giggling behind him, trying to be quiet and failing.

"I think that might be…. Everett!"

"Everett?! I'm not old and smelly! No, silly, it's me! Marie!"

Wernher turned around and picked up the young girl, sitting her on his knee and giving her a hug. Her black hair naturally hung in loose curls, and framed a face that could only be described as 'adorable'. Since he and Orion had overthrown Ashur, the former dictator's daughter had really grown on him. As hard as he had tried to not care about her, to see her as nothing but 'The Cure', Wernher had grown into the role of uncle to Marie. His only regret was that he and Orion were still lying to her about her parents. As far as she was concerned, the Wanderer was her father and her mother had died a long time ago. The last part was true, at least.

"When is Daddy coming home?" she asked.

"Soon, sweetheart, I promise. He had to go visit some people he hasn't seen in a very long time".

"But why couldn't I go with him?"

"He told you, he wanted you to stay safe here in Haven with Uncle Wernher and Auntie Midea. Besides, I think we have more fun without him. Like right now, we're going to go downstairs and I'll use a dummy to show you where to stab someone to really hurt them".

"Yaaaaaaayyyyyy!"

Marie squealed before running ahead. Wernher downed another mouthful of moonshine and got up to follow. Orion wouldn't approve, but he always wanted to see the best in the world. Even after all the shit he went through, he still thought people were inherently good. Wernher didn't. And he'd rather walk into a pack of Trogs than leave that little girl not knowing how to defend herself.

.

Knight Captain Pek of the Brotherhood of Steel had never been very good at combat. On one of his first training exercises, nearly 10 years ago, the Lone Wanderer had had to rescue him and the other he was with from a group of super mutants. Since then, blind luck had kept him alive and promoted him through the ranks. His career was filled with improbable chances, like the time he dropped his laser rifle in battle, only for it to go off and hit a crate of mines behind the Talon Mercs they were fighting. Or the time he had ran for his life from a super mutant behemoth, only for it to attract the attention of a pack of Deathclaws. The behemoth won, but the Deathclaws had shredded its legs and left it an easy target for Pek. Nearly every day he wished he had joined one of the Orders of the Scribes, but visions of glory had made him stupid. Now, he was alone in the middle of the wasteland trying to face down five wild sentry bots. They weren't really wild though. Pek was smart enough to know most of the wild robots in the Capital these days had been reprogrammed by the Regulators. Not even the smartest scribes of the Citadel could figure out how those damn cowboys suddenly became so tech savy. There was even a betting pool in the barracks about it. The most popular theory was that they had found some underground, pre-war robot factory that had taught them everything they needed to know. Personally, Pek was betting that they had just picked up a few books. He'd been stationed at the Arlington Library early in his career and you could learn everything in the world from those books.

As he reloaded his laser rifle, Pek realised that the wasteland was unusually quiet. From his shelter behind an overturned bus, he couldn't see what had happened to the sentry bots, but the sound of machine gun fire, missiles, and robotic warmings had disappeared. He nearly jumped out of his power armour when something clinked against his foot. Looking down, he realised that mightn't have been a bad idea as the pulse grenade went off right beside him. Knocking him to the ground, the blast also sent his armour into shutdown, leaving him immobile. Face down, Pek could only wait as he heard boots on the ground stomping towards him.

"You were right boss, those pulse grenades really do fuck up power armour" said one voice.

Pek decided to go for the bold play.

"Whoever you are, I am a Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel. In a minute my armour will reboot and you shall be terminated if you don't surrender".

Unfortunately, this was greeted by the sound of laughter and the feeling of the back of Pek's power armour being opened manually. Before he could react, he felt a needle being pressed into his back, and the ground in front of his face began to grow fuzzy and dark. The last thing he heard was another voice, and authoritative one, addressing him

"We've been waiting years for an opportunity like this, Brotherhood scum. As for who we are, we're going to get very well acquainted over the next while".


End file.
